TNAG-0815-FCO40-1021-Visit-of-police-advisers-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 20

SECRET

HKK 882/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

-

- 3 NOV 1978

70

Flag A

1

Mr Cortazzi

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

No

REC TRY

Action T ten

HONG KONG : REVIEW OF ROYAL HONG KONG 'POLICE FORCE/ SPECIAL BRANCH

1.

Arrangements to review the organisation, staffing and equip- ment of Special Branch have now been completed. The review is to

be conducted by lr J H Harrison & recently retired Director of the Security Service and a former Colonial Office Security Liaison Officer. The arrangements are described in Mr Woodroffe's letter of 27 October.

2. lir Harrison called on me on 31 October to talk about the review. He asked how the idea had originated, explaining that he had the impression that it had not come from Hong Kong. I said that the review was an FCC initiative, but that dd not mean we were dis- satisfied with the performance of the Branch. Our approach had been that as the rest of the RHKPF had been reviewd by Mr Crane and his team, there would be merit in reviewing the Special Branch, particularly as this had not been done for many years. We had also felt that it would be right to look carefully at the requirements placed upon Special Branch in the light of possible developments in the UK/China/Hong Kong relationship over the next few years. It had now been agreed that this should be dealt with as a separate exercise.

3. Mr Harrison said that one of the things he would be looking at was the extent to which Special Branch could provide support for our friends in their Hong Kong-based activities. He asked whether there was any FCO view on this. I said that the primary role of Special Branch was to protect the security of Hong Kong. If there was capacity to support our friends as well, we were happy that that should be done. Mr Harrison said he hoped to speak to the Governor at the outset of his review so that he could be quite clear about the Hong Kong Government's position in this matter. He would also be looking for general guidance.

4. I mentioned the delicate matter of the Police. The Governor had pointed to the risk that the review night wrongly be regarded as a direct result of the Branch's failure to predict/ěvěnts of last October/November. We agreed that it was very important to avoid giving this impression. But the need for the Government to be informed of any trouble brewing within the Police Force was something which Mr Harrison should keep at the back of his mind. Mr Harrison made it clear that he was fully aware of this point and its sensitivity.

5. fir Harrison said he anticipated that there might be a need to reinforce Special Branch, possibly by bringing in people from the UK. But much would depend on whether the right kind of men could be made available and that was something he would only be able to determine once he had returned to this country. If only for that reason he intended to delay writing his report until after his return.

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16.